Collision
by Seena58
Summary: AU Karin expected change when she transferred to the boarding school, but she never expected complete insanity. Between classes, arguments, and teenage love, she has to come to adapt to this strange way of life with new friends. Various pairings
1. Chapter 01

**Disclaimer:** Kamichama Karin is property of Koge-Donbo, the publishers etc. etc.

**Warnings:** Alternate Universe (AU), possible Out of Character (OOC)-ness, general insanity, crack-type pairings, and badly written romance (in later chapters).

**A/N: **For now, I'll just blame a conversation at the Kamichama Karin lj community for this particular plot-bunny (about character pairings). Fairly easy to follow and no, I don't really know how boarding schools really work (I go to one that's day and boarding, so… yes). I won't mention all the pairings for the sake of scaring readers/making them guess what couple will be next. On the assumption that you haven't run away screaming from the warnings given… I salute you as you read on.

* * *

**Collision**

**Chapter 01**

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"Hi, I'm your new dorm mate, Hanazono Karin, nice to meet you… No, maybe not, uhm…" she shook her head in irritation, "Maybe not the bowing; that's so formal now. But then again… a handshake right off might seem too informal… but… but… argh!"

It was, perhaps by chance or fate itself, that no one else was currently in the vicinity, as Karin made a half-hearted attempt to tear at her hair. As she performed something similar to a Dance of Rage™, her foot struck one of the suitcases on the floor. Without another thought, she yelped at the jolt of pain that followed and instantly made a grab for it.

This resulted in tragedy, as Karin lost her balance and toppled to the tiled floor. Whimpering at the pain that shot through her entire left side, the fourteen-year-old pushed herself up into a sitting position.

_Great! My first day here and I'm already making a fool of myself!_ She ranted in her mind, tears collecting in her eyes. _This was supposed to be a new start! Not like this! No, wait! No one saw, so I still—_

The sound of the door before her opening caused a near heart-attack in Karin, the shock hitting her already highly-strung nerves. She struggled to stand up as fast as she could, only to fall back down from the pain. As she all but saw doom in the near future, Karin almost missed the hand before her.

She glanced up to meet the face of her new dorm mate. The girl smiled, dark hair curtaining her pale face.

"I thought I heard someone out here."

Flustered, Karin accepted the help and, once up, fidgeted awkwardly on the spot. First impressions were important, her aunt had once told her – after a rather long rant about her failing grades – and they shouldn't be wasted.

Well, it was her first impression with this girl; oh _hell_, she was going to screw up…

"Hi, I'm Hanazono Karin! Nice to meet you!" the words flew out of her mouth and she bowed, long before her mind realised what she had just done. When it had, however, her mind went into overdrive – _Oh no oh no oh no! I totally did that, didn't I?! She probably thinks I'm a weirdo and… _- and almost missed the girl's reply.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Kujyou Himeka." Then she bowed.

Silence. It seemed to stretch out into eternity as Karin stared; no, there had been no sarcasm in the girl's – _Himeka's,_ she reminded herself sharply – voice and she definitely seemed sincere. And she was so pretty and gentle-looking, not someone who would mock or tease or hurt even the smallest creature on the planet.

_Okay, okay, Karin. Wait, wait. Breathe in, out. BREATHE GIRL, BREATHE! It's okay; no mocking, no glares, nothing yet, no wait, I look weird right now, right? Right?! Ah! No!_

With great effort, Karin pushed her worries out of the way and managed a smile in Himeka's direction. "So, uh… I guess we're dorm mates now, Kujyou-san…"

"Yes," Himeka stepped back to allow Karin access into their room, still smiling, "but you can just call me Himeka."

As she tugged at her suitcase to ease it inside, the brunette managed to glance up for a moment, the smile looking a little less plastic; "Really? Then you can call me Karin!"

"Okay! Here, I'll help."

"Ah, no, I'm fine--"

"It'll be quicker this way--"

"B-but… alright, if you really insist…"

Five minutes later found the door closed, the suitcase on the spare bed and Karin with it, as she stared at the ceiling. Himeka took a seat next to the still-nervous girl, her intentions clear on relieving the stress.

"You know, Karin-chan, the campus here is really nice, and so are the teachers and students. We have so many extracurricular activities it's impossible to not find one you'll enjoy. I'm a part of the Nature's Club and we look at all types of animals and bugs and it's always fun to get into discussions with the other members! We've also got cooking, or the computer club, and there are also the sports; we have so many and--" She stopped mid-sentence and clapped her hands over her mouth, "I-I'm sorry!"

Karin, who had been listening silently – attentively for each and every detail – sat up and smiled. "What are you talking about? It sounds like so much fun!" the smile faded as she continued, "It's just that… well, this school is much larger than my last one, and this is my first time boarding _and_ away from family, so… eheh… sorry if I'm not much fun to be around."

"I know how that feels. Starting here, I mean," without hesitation, Himeka took Karin's hand and squeezed it, "but it's a really nice place and, besides getting lost occasionally, it's a lot of fun. You'll make so many friends here."

Although the knot in her stomach remained, it had lessened enough to allow Karin to appreciate the company (and not just thank whatever god up there for not giving her some scary, serious-looking girl as a dorm mate). "So… Himeka-chan, what's it like to be he--…"

The rest of the question was lost as the door burst open behind them and people tumbled in. Karin leaned over to get a closer look – she _suspected_ they were people, but it was sort of hard to tell with the black, red and yellow that seemed to be there. The intruders – two, she concluded – seemed to trade insults with the other; how or why, she had absolutely no clue.

"—ga, that's the last time I--"

"Just because you can't take it like a man--"

"Like you're one to talk--!"

All Karin knew, then and there, was that there were strangers in the room: loud strangers, at that, and most definitely male if their voices were anything to go by. And that freaked her out.

"Perverts!" she all but shrieked and made a grab for something, _anything_, to get them out. Himeka calmly took a hold of Karin's arm – the one which currently held a desk-lamp – and caught her attention.

"It's okay," she reassured her, although the brunette felt anything but that, "once they calm down, I'll introduce you to--"

"Why are you two fighting in Himeka-san's room?" another male's voice filtered from down the hall, sounding somewhat aggravated, "Didn't you promise not to fight because a new student was coming?"

It wasn't long before another male stormed in and went to work to pry the two apart from the floor. There was a moment of struggling and then the arguing seemed to stop abruptly. Silence fell in the room.

Himeka seemed far too cheerful with what had just happened, Karin noted, before her attention was drawn to the people who had just entered their room. _Without any warning or permission_, she added silently, still flustered.

The tallest of the three – _he has such pretty eyes… but they're different colours…_ - smiled as soon as he knew she had caught his eye. From the somewhat-awkward position of holding back the black-haired boy, he still managed some form of grace in a half-bow.

"Sorry for the intrusion. Allow me to introduce myself--…"


	2. Chapter 02

**Disclaimer:** I do not own. Yes.

**Warnings:** AU, possible OOC-ness, general insanity, 'fangirling'.

**A/N: **Well, nothing too amazing here, to be honest. Stuff happens and the characters act a little odd, while Karin loses her mind… or something. The Kirika-thing gets thrown around in this story (so yes, spoilers if you haven't read the entire series). And characters from chu/the sequel run around as well.

**CarolzofBellz, fallenxfate, Kountry101, Nakima-chan **and** Tears like Crystals:** Much thanks and hopefully you'll enjoy future chapters, yeah? (And no, I'm still not telling you what the pairings will be. Just, uh... assume what you will) XD

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**Collision**

**Chapter 02 **

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"My name's Nishikiori Michiru," he seemed to want to offer her a hand with the introduction, but could not in his current position, "Nice to meet you." 

A moment of quick analysis and she felt more than willing to give a reply (he had only come to stop the fighting, after all), "Hanazono Karin."

Even as she said that, a part of her mind took in the fact that he held a slight accent; not one blatantly obvious, but still there, at the ends of his words when he spoke. Although that might not have had him stand out in a crowd of students, his eyes were definitely something to remember – mismatching shades of violet and azure. _Is that natural…?_

"Karin-chan," Himeka had stepped away from the bed and currently clung onto the disgruntled blonde's arm, "this is my cousin, Kujyou Kazune."

Her eyes fell on him, and something seemed to _click _in her mind and she leapt up from her seated position to point an accusatory finger at Kazune. "You're that chauvinistic brat from the gate!"

The blonde raised an eyebrow, as if the statement meant nothing to him. "And you're that loud, violent girl," he replied calmly.

Karin's arm twitched and she curled her hand into a fist. He still sported the bruise she had just given him less than an hour before – there, on the right side of his face – and she wondered if it was really alright to want to hit him again right in front of her new dorm mate: his _cousin_.

It wouldn't leave a good first impression, she was certain of that.

For a moment, Karin struggled with herself, but managed to fight back the urge of inflicting more violence; they were students here, so there was always a chance somewhere in the shadows.

Yes. She would punch him _later_.

"Thanks for the description," she huffed, arms crossed, "but that's a little rude, don't you think?"

Kazune didn't even bother to look in her direction and shrugged, while Himeka glanced between the two of them, confusion evident on her face. Michiru and the other boy watched on as well; more amused than anything else as Karin silently fumed at the blonde's attitude.

"Well, I was wondering where you'd received that nice-looking bruise," the black-haired boy smirked as he brushed Michiru off him – it seemed to take a bit of effort, but since the fighting had been stopped, there was no more threat – and then turned to Karin.

As soon as she caught sight of his face, there was no need for an introduction, as Karin all but shrieked – only to later berate herself for sounding so squeal-y and… _fangirlish_ – "You're Kuga Jin!"

"Ah, so you know me already," he seemed amused by her reaction and, without warning, stepped up before her and took her hand. "I feel so honoured."

Kazune snorted, "Yeah, right. Like no girl has heard of the _famous teen idol Jin_ before. And it isn't like you _don't_ flaunt that position in class, or lunch, or when you're just freaking walking around campus…"

"Kazune-chan," Himeka said, and he cut his rant short.

Jin didn't seem to hear what the blonde had just said, and Karin's mind only registered it happening; the words made no sense to her. She seemed to be caught up in some sort of sparkly land that didn't seem real at all.

_Jin… the idol Jin! Wait, he goes to this school? Since when?!_

"Nice to meet you, Karin."

Karin snapped out of her daze, in time to realise he had just kissed her hand and her face burned – _at the attention? The fact it was __**Jin**__? Because he had just called her by her given name? Or just because another boy had just… just… _- mouth opening and closing, though no sound came out.

"Ah, now look what you've done, Jin-kun," Michiru chuckled as he gave the idol a pat on the head, "You've completely charmed poor Hanazono-san, not giving any other boy a chance to win her heart."

Although she knew that there were still people in the room, Karin's mind had flown off elsewhere, as if to try and make sense out of what had just happened. Kazune merely look disgusted while Himeka seemed _far too used_ to the situation, while Jin kept a hold of her hand and Michiru had decided to continue to ruffle Jin's hair, as if bored.

"Not like you have any problem with girls_ and_ boys swooning over you," Jin retorted calmly as he shot a sideways glance. "Someone will eventually take advantage of you if you keep up the insanely innocent act. And don't mess up my hair."

Michiru didn't look the least surprised when Jin's free hand shot up to catch his own to prevent further hair-ruffling. "Whatever are you talking about? I don't have 'girls and boys swooning over me', the last time I checked."

"That's because you're too thick to see it as it is."

"And you're both going to argue that case for hours if we allow it," Kazune growled out, "so I think I'll be going now. Don't forget tonight; my room, seven-thirty, Nishikiori. Sakurai might have the patience of a saint, but I want this project done as soon as possible."

Without waiting for an affirmative reply, the blonde spun around and stomped out of the room. The door slammed shut as Himeka waved his back goodbye.

"Pft, Kujyou has screaming girls after him all the time. What was with that response?" Jin huffed, before he turned back to the still-shocked Karin. "I'm hoping that we'll get a chance to know each other during the year, Karin. Wouldn't you agree?"

Karin struggled against her mind – _oh my god oh my god oh my god this can't be happening _– and managed to stammer a response, "Y-y-yeah…"

With a smile, the idol finally let go of her hand and stepped back as she continued to gape at him. Her attention was drawn back, however, when Michiru held out his own hand to shake hers.

"If you ever need any help getting anywhere or just want someone to talk to, I'm always around as well, okay?"

The obvious sincerity in his voice made Karin smile. "Sure."

As soon as the two left – with a quiet _click_ from the door – Karin turned back to Himeka, who had taken a seat on her own bed.

"Are… are they…" she swallowed, "Are they always like that?"

"Oh, yes, but you get used to it. It's kind of funny, because Kazune-chan and Jin-kun don't get along and always compete. At least, when it comes to grades," Himeka pulled at a stuffed bunny that had been sitting by her side and squeezed it, "Socially, they're complete opposites."

Karin huffed, "I'll say."

Personal experience had shown Kazune to be completely socially retarded – it was only her view of their encounter, but she didn't care that it was completely biased – and Jin… well, he _was_ an idol and got along very well with his fans. And from what she had just witnessed firsthand…

Her face burned once again and she was sure that her heart fluttered at the memory. _No, not good. Stop thinking about that. Stop it now, Karin!_

"Nishikiori-kun seems nice as well," Karin said, in an attempt to get her mind to focus on something else.

"Oh yes, he's a lot of fun to hang around with. Although a good part of the time he has his hands full making sure that Kazune-chan and Jin-kun don't end up killing each other," Himeka frowned at the thought, but seemed to shake it away easily as she continued, "And you'll meet Sakurai-kun during class as well, I'm sure; he's Kazune-chan's dorm mate this year."

Karin inclined her head, "Eeh… so that means…"

"Yes. Michiru-kun and Jin-kun share a room. But enough of that," the dark-haired girl scooted back so that she could lean against the wall, still looking at Karin, "What were you and Kazune-chan talking about before?"

Focusing her gaze on the window, Karin laughed nervously; it was a topic she didn't feel ready to talk about. "Ahaha… no, it's nothing, really. We just didn't agree on something, that's all." And all _she_ had asked was for directions.

She heard Himeka shift on her bed. "Ah, well, Kazune-chan is like that to everyone, so you shouldn't let it bother you too much."

"Yeah, well," she huffed indignantly, "I don't think it's really polite to be rude to a complete stranger when all they're asking is for some help."

As Himeka contemplated what she had just said, Karin turned to her suitcase and snapped it open. It seemed that most of her possessions had already been sent in – the desk on her side of the room already held her books – and the rest, she suspected, would end up as mail when her aunt dug them out of her room.

Karin tilted the photo in her hands and sighed, a slight wave of homesickness pooling in the pit of her stomach. In reality, she was ecstatic at the chance of going to such a prestigious boarding school – _who wouldn't be? ­_– but it also meant moving away from where she had been brought up, as well as the resting place of her pet.

Shi-chan. The cat had been with her for as long as she could remember, and the sudden passing had happened only a month before she had received the acceptance letter and had to move. In all honesty, Karin suspected that her aunt had wanted her out of the house as soon as possible; it wasn't like she was much use in the house, and her grades seemed to go from good to bad to worse…

Which lead, naturally, to the question: how had Karin managed to get into such a school halfway through the first semester?

In answer to such a question: she really didn't know.

To her, it seemed to be a gift from the gods. In between her mourning for her poor grades and, later, the death of the only creature who loved her unconditionally, Karin couldn't even remember when she had taken the exam to transfer, if she had at all.

Perhaps, she reasoned, it was the meddling of aliens, if the god-theory was proven wrong. Either they wanted to make fun of her, or had really given her a chance to start again, but it didn't matter for now. Now she had to focus on not making a fool of herself in front of a whole _school_.

Karin already felt nauseous.

As she pounded angrily at her pillow, there was a light rap on the door and Himeka moved to open it. When the brunette glanced back up, the worry of her reputation was thrown out the window; the ability to breathe gone for the second time that day (and in less than half an hour).

"Ah, you must be Hanazono-san," the guest smiled and offered a hand in greeting, "I'm Karasuma Kirika, a tenth grader. I supervise the dorms with a couple of other older students and my brother, Kirio. Nice to meet you."

As her mind went into overdrive, Karin accepted the hand and shook it, only to realise that she had been staring at Kirika without actually saying anything. She screamed at herself to pull it together and managed to find her voice.

"I'm Hanazono Karin. Nice to meet you, Karasuma-senpai."

"Oh, you don't need to be so formal, you know," Kirika smiled, "and remember if you have any problems, you can always talk to me or the other supervisors, who I'm sure you'll get to know soon enough."

Karin watched as he turned to face Himeka, "By the way, did I just hear Kujyou-kun and Kuga-kun fighting in your room again?"

"Yes, but Michiru-kun managed to break that up before they began disturbing the others."

"Still, I wish they'd keep to their side of the building, rather than running off and disturbing the rest of us." With a sigh, Kirika waved them goodbye, "I need to check up on my brother, so I'll be going now."

Once the door closed and Himeka had made her way back to her bed, Karin could only splutter incoherently for a moment and – turning red as the confused look her dorm mate was sending her – finally managed the question that had stuck itself in the back of her mind.

"A-a-a-are they all like this?"

"All like what?" The blank look on Himeka's face made Karin want to shake her; how could she be so used to it all?

"Just… so… _kind and friendly-like_," not counting Kazune, she corrected herself, "and why is _Jin_ here?!"

This merely resulted in a smile with the reply, "Well, I don't know what you mean by 'kind and friendly-like' exactly, as everyone is just like that. As for Jin-kun, he has to go to school somewhere, right?"

Happy with her answer, Himeka moved so that she could start her homework – Karin assumed so, in any case – while the brunette felt like hitting her head against the wall as long as she could until she blacked out.

Glad that she had arrived during the weekend, Karin couldn't help but fear what the future would bring to her in a new school. She was away from everything she had grown up with and had to start anew.

She decided to ask Himeka where the bathroom was located, just in case.


	3. Interlude 01

**Disclaimer:** Not mine; will probably never be.

**Warnings:** AU, OOC-ness?

**A/N:** Interludes: basically side chapters focused on the other characters. Will probably mix from past, present and future (I do want to build on other character's relationships, you know). This is one basically follows during chapter two (and yes, it was supposed to be short -shrugs-).

**CarolzofBellz,**** fallenxfate, nakima-chan, Kountry101, KamichamaKarinLover25, Young Wolf Of The Abyss **and** Bloody Red Vampire:** XD I appreciate the reviews, and glad you like it. (I suppose I should apologise that this isn't a full-blown chapter, but… you know.)

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**Collision**

**Interlude 01**

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Once in the safety of their room, Jin stretched out on his bed while Michiru seated himself at his desk and pulled out his homework. He flipped through the pages of his textbook for a moment, to locate the marked page while the black-haired boy watched on. 

"So," Michiru spoke into the silence, as he opened his workbook and tapped his mechanical pencil against it, "what do you think of Hanazono-san? She seems like an interesting person to hang around with."

Jin snorted at this, "You say that about everyone, though, Nishikiori."

"Yes, but it's clear she's won _your_ interests, in any case. When was the last time you kissed a girl's hand as soon as you met them?"

"Makes you wonder why she decided to transfer halfway through first semester. She must be pretty smart, or ready to work like a demon." He had chosen to side-step the question, rather than tackle it head-first.

Michiru hummed thoughtfully at the statement, flipping past a page that had been filled with scribbles and slightly smudged sketches. His mismatched eyes slid across the questions he was supposed to answer, and then to his dorm mate.

Jin didn't seem to notice this, as he had taken to staring at the ceiling, counting the cracks that were there.

"Since Karin _is_ boarding here…" he began, while he traced the ceiling with meaningless patterns, "you don't suppose she has a boyfriend back home, do you?"

"But don't _you_ already have a girlfriend?"

A laugh, somewhat bitter. "I've been meaning to break up with her. It's not like we were serious, anyway."

With a raised eyebrow, Michiru pushed himself back from the desk, "Says the idol who is only fourteen. I'm now worried about _how_ you plan to break it to her…"

"It's not like _you_ can give me any helpful advice," Jin pointed out, as he sat up and met his friend's eyes, "You've never been with anyone--"

"But I don't need to be with anyone to know that being told they're no longer important will hurt," Michiru shrugged, a slight smile now in place, "I'm just advising you not to be inconsiderate of her feelings."

They stared at the other for a moment, until the idol gave a sigh and stood up to take a seat next to the still-smiling teenager. Happy that he had gotten his message across, Michiru turned back to his work while Jin, scowling slightly, watched on.


	4. Chapter 03

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kamichama Karin or chu-.

**Warnings:** AU, OOC-ness, usual stuff, possible errors everywhere.

**A/N:** Because I'm a very, very lazy person. So now we have another chapter, where not much happens (really), but hey, it's all fun. It's time to continue to move on forward, yes?

**Cursed Cross****, fallenxfate, CarolzofBellz, KamichamaKarinLover25, Kountry101, Ickiakki, **and** ThReE gIrLs WiTh PoCkY:** Many thanks for the reviews, because you're all amazing :P Now we can move onto my long, semi-useless chapter.

* * *

**Collision**

**Chapter 03**

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At first, all Karin's mind registered was that someone was shaking her. She groaned and tried to bury herself deeper into the warmth of her bed; but whoever it was decided to be fairly persistent, and began to tug at her blanket in the process. Then a voice, as fuzzy as it was, managed to penetrate into her consciousness. 

"—… time to go…—"

"No… don' wanna…" Karin slurred back, with as much coherency she could manage with a pillow in her face. It was warm and comfortable right there; who thought they could pull her away from it?

Still, the tugging continued, until eventually they managed to pull part of the blanket out of her grasp. The girl managed a half-whimper, half-protest at the lack of consideration, as her dorm mate tried to get her awake (Himeka had never known a girl to be so stubborn in the morning).

"Karin-chan, if you don't wake up now, there won't be any time for breakfast," she tried, as the brunette merely continued to float in between being awake, and being asleep.

Another incoherent slur escaped Karin, before Himeka managed to fight half the blanket away from her. As soon as she realised that she had been fighting a losing battle, the brunette sat up and tried to blink away the tired from her eyes. All she could do was stare blearily at the dark-haired girl who stood before her.

It was slightly amusing – really – as her vision only allowed her to focus on the blurry lump, and she couldn't help but smile a little; only to remember that they had stolen her blanket and woken her up (from the nice little world of 'no worries'). A part of her wanted to tell the other girl off for being so rude, but managed to stop herself before the words left her mouth.

Not that it would have made much sense, as she could not even form a real sentence in her current state. (It had been an odd trait of Karin's, her absolutely amazing ability to sleep constantly for over ten hours; it took a lot out of a person to try and get her to wake up during that time.)

Himeka smiled, as she poked her new friend, "Karin-chan, it's time to wake up, otherwise we'll miss breakfast."

"Huh…?" Karin blinked, as her mind slowly began to process what had just been said. As it happened at the speed that made a snail's pace pale in comparison, Himeka pulled the other girl out of her bed and began to – cheerfully – push her towards the bathroom they shared.

"You have ten minutes—" she trilled, as she closed the door behind the brunette, and turned away to prepare for the new day.

For a moment, all Karin could do was sway on her feet, as she realised that the cold made her shiver, and it would be best to do as Himeka had said. She stumbled to where the shower was located.

By the time she had left the bathroom – relatively awake – Karin was taken by surprise when her dorm mate shoved her bag in her hands, only to promptly drop it on her foot. Himeka smiled as the brunette hopped around in pain, as she waited until the other girl had recovered, and they left for the cafeteria.

As Karin sullenly tugged at the black skirt (as if afraid that, if even a wrinkle was present, she would be branded a fool for the rest of her school life here), Himeka began to talk, to try and keep her new friend relaxed.

"You'll fit right in, once you get used to how lessons go around here," she began, "Remember that girl I introduced to you yesterday, Miyon-chan? She's more than happy to lend a hand if we're not around."

The brunette shot her new friend a look mixed between the half-awake state and disbelief, "And if I can't find anyone I know already to help me…?" Her voice rose a pitch at the end of the question, but Himeka waved the fear away quickly.

"Karin-chan, you'll be fine, trust me. And everyone here is willing to help a student in need."

Perhaps, then, Himeka had failed to notice the number of girls who had been glaring since dinner last night. Karin couldn't stop the shiver that ran through her spine at what she could see in their eyes, and couldn't work out why they seemed to hate her so much already.

Just because she had been dragged to the same table where Kazune, Michiru and Jin had been… (And she had been introduced to Yi Mi Yong, better known as Miyon, and Sakurai Yuuki, who had been happy to talk to her.)

A part of Karin had just wanted to stand up and yell something at them (she had no idea what, and probably would have made a fool of herself) just to reassure them that she had _not_ asked to be there, and it had been a complete coincidence.

Or maybe the girls just honed in on new students and tore them apart for the first few months to teach them their place. Not that Karin would take any sort of treatment lying down; her uncle had taught her the basics of martial arts, after all. And a certain blond knew she was more than capable of defending herself, if need be.

As the pair entered the crowded cafeteria, the brunette could only gape at (what seemed to be) an endless stream of black. She knew that it shouldn't have been so _freaky_ (the only word she could use) but she felt justified at the fact that this was the first boarding school she had ever attended. Just seeing so many students in one place scared her a good part of the time.

Himeka nudged her gently in the ribs, and she allowed herself to be pushed into the line as another nameless student. While others competed with each other for their specific breakfast source, Karin allowed herself to get a better look at the groups, and tried to place them into stereotypes.

There were those who felt 'privileged' from the rest, more than likely to have entered the school due to money, rather than their scholarly talent. The highest 'social status' one could receive, and they looked the part; make-up, the latest technology, far too many hair accessories (in which Himeka had reassured her that they were confiscated at the beginning of school hours)…

Karin shook her head. Maybe it would have been better if she hadn't tried to categorise them all. But it was fun, at the same time, and the line they were in was slow enough for her to drift off and not have anyone notice the difference.

Next to come to her attention were the classic 'geek' stereotypes; where their uniforms seemed just a _little_ out of place, hair that could have a person raising eyebrows at their fashion sense and their speech patterns which lost normal people from line two. It seemed that most chose not to wear the large, dorky glasses, though, so Karin was spared from having to stop herself from laughing (yes, she knew it was mean, but she couldn't help it).

She was jerked out of her thoughts, as Himeka nudged her again, and realised that she had somehow managed to obtain breakfast during her 'analysis'. Karin followed behind her friend, as they weaved past other students and crowded tables, until Himeka managed to locate where her cousin was.

"You're late," Kazune stated, despite the fact everyone already knew. He didn't even turn to acknowledge Karin's presence, and she fumed at his complete lack of manners.

Which, of course, led to the group of 'hawt' boys that everyone fangirl-ed over. They were judged by looks first, before personality (although it was clear that they could have been the world's worst person in history and girls would still love them) and practically had an army of fans due to their popularity.

Kazune was definitely the jerk-type, in which his looks and disagreeable attitude seemed to win the 'hearts of the students'; Karin couldn't see why, though, but decided not to think about it, as she wanted stay away from him as much as possible.

Jin had both looks and personality, one loved by many, in which he loved back; yes, the brunette knew she was a bit of a fangirl about him, but she chose to treat him as another classmate, rather than the idol.

Michiru, too, seemed to possess both good looks and a genial personality that made him likeable; she didn't know much about him, still, but already felt she could trust him in such a big, bad school.

And that was the problem at its core; she had entered a zone no fangirl had ever done, on her first day, no less, and had already become part of the fairly close-knit group. It was almost blasphemous, in their eyes.

"So, why were you two so late?" Jin asked casually, as he poked at the food on his tray, as if to see if anything was alive.

"Ah, that was my fault," Karin mumbled, and her face instantly began to burn as the idol's attention fell on her. A part of her wanted to retract the statement instantly, but it was too late for that, "Himeka-chan tried to get us here on time, but I…"

Michiru chuckled, as he reached over the table, to poke at Kazune's breakfast (despite the other's protest), "That's alright then. I mean, Jin-kun has a tendency to sleep in until noon, if he's given the chance…"

"This isn't about my sleeping habits," the dark-haired teen cut in coolly, as he gave Karin a winning smile (she felt certain that her heartbeat quickened at the attention), "Well, at least I know you slept well then."

"Not at the table, please," Kazune groaned, looking sickened, "You flirting with everything that moves around here makes me want to _puke._"

Jin turned his attention to the blond, as the smile was replaced by a smirk, "Why don't you then, Kujyou? I'm sure more people would remember your name if you did something like that once in a while."

"You want to start another fight, Kuga—?"

Michiru calmly grabbed at the back of Jin's shirt as the idol tried to stand up, and pulled him back down, "Now, chaps, let's not start a new day with Hanazono-san by fighting uproariously, where everyone can see and hear us. Do you _want_ people to know what sort of insults and secrets you two throw at each other?"

As the auburn-haired teen smiled serenely, Kazune spluttered as his face seemed to turn into an odd shade of red (Karin was amused), while Jin pouted and crossed his arms indignantly.

"Honestly, I'm more surprised that they _haven't_ heard any yet."

"Well, that's because last year, you and Kazune-kun fought continuously in the dorms; it was rare for you two to fight elsewhere. And then I had to get involved with your personal battles, didn't I?" Michiru explained, as he began to poke at Jin's food, "Without me, everyone would be gossiping about how, when you were six, you actually—…"

Jin coughed – which sounded more like a forced hacking in the back of the throat – as he covered his friend's mouth with his hand. "I think we get the point, Nishikiori."

A muffled jumble of words was his reply.

While Michiru pulled back (after having stolen something from Jin's tray), Karin could only watch, a little perplexed; their relaxed attitude – despite the constant fights between Jin and Kazune – almost took her by surprise. In Jin's case, especially.

True, the idol had a public image he had to uphold, and kept to the limits, but it was still strange – almost exhilarating – to see him as an actual _person_, rather than another poster pin-up.

If Karin hadn't admired him before, she definitely did now. And ten times more than any other male figure she had known in her life; which, considering, there weren't many in the end.

Still, he was amazing. That was something she could say with confidence that she was in the right.

Himeka hummed next to her, as they finished breakfast, and Karin turned her attention away from the sulking blond, the idol and the boy who seemed to steal food from other trays like a daily ritual.

"Himeka-chan…"

"Hm?"

"Where's Miyon-chan and Yuuki-kun?" She hadn't seen either of the two since entering the cafeteria; Miyon stood out quite a bit, so she would have known otherwise. Himeka brushed a couple of stray hairs back, as she replied happily to Karin's question.

"Oh, that's because today Sakurai-kun has violin practice in the morning, and sometimes Miyon-chan accompanies him. Otherwise, she just spends time reading over play scripts for the drama department."

The brunette inclined her head, while the trio in the background seemed to get into another argument, "Eh? Does Miyon-chan skip breakfast or something?"

"Oh, no," Himeka laughed good-naturedly, "She just eats incredibly early, when no one else is awake. You know, during the hours when we're not supposed to be out?"

Karin stared at her, and what had just been said, "Are you serious? But, isn't that like breaking the rul…" The rest of her question was lost, as her dorm mate shook her head calmly.

"It's alright, though, since she's never caught. And I think it's fine, because that's the only meal she likes to spend time alone. I'm hoping you'll keep it a secret then, Karin-chan?"

Their eyes met, and Karin struggled to work out which way was the right way. True, she had only met them for a couple of hours (and knew a few a little more than a day now) and she had no right to tell on them if they broke the rules, but at the same time…

_Don't be stupid! Miyon-chan is such a nice person and really lively. Why would I want to get her in trouble? She hasn't done anything wrong._

With a smile and a wink, Karin nodded her head, "I promise."

Himeka clapped her hands, obviously incredibly happy at the acceptance, and looked ready to hug the brunette, until Kazune rapped his knuckles against the back of her head.

"What are you two talking about?"

"Kazune-chan really wants to know?" the girl shot back happily, and he rolled his eyes.

"No, not really. But we should be heading for class now, you know."

"Of course," Himeka agreed, as she stood up, "Karin-chan, do you know where to go?" They had gone over her timetable the day before, along with a map of the school and the easiest routes to reach specific classes.

Karin nodded, suddenly nervous. Once again, the insecurity – the fear that she would screw up and not even be able to find the right classroom – plagued her mind; gnawing at her like a metaphorical rat (that Shi-chan had eaten).

Someone tapped her lightly on the shoulder, and she blinked as she met golden eyes. "K-Kuga-san?"

"Now, you don't need to be so formal, Karin; just 'Jin' will do," he seemed amused as he invaded her personal space, "We never really got much time to talk about your actual timetable; so I was wondering, if you're alright with it, I get to see which classes I'll be sharing with you?"

Kazune snorted loudly, as Karin tried to find the sheet of paper with her lessons on it; "I swear, Kuga, you really make me _sick_ sometimes. I'm going now."

Neither replied – although Michiru did smile and wave the blond goodbye – while Jin scanned her subjects quickly, while other students around them filtered out for class. A moment later and the idol glanced back up to meet her eyes, smile in place. Karin tried to force her heart to stop beating so quickly – and failed miserably, as he was too close – and focus on what he said.

"Well, it looks like I'll be seeing you in Maths, English and Music then. It's a pity, though; we couldn't share more time together during class hours." He sighed, as he passed the paper back.

_Calm down, calm down, calm down calm down! He probably says this to all the girls he meets!_ Karin told herself harshly, before she allowed herself to get carried away. But it was too late, as the giddy, happy feeling rushed through her entire system, and she wanted to do nothing more than to melt into a (metaphorical) puddle (of bliss).

"You have Science first, though, so I guess you'll be with Sakurai and Nishikiori," Jin nodded over the auburn-haired teen, who turned at the sound of his name. "They'll take care of you, I'm sure."

"Leave it to me," Michiru clapped the idol on the back, with a smile of reassurance. Karin watched on, unable to work out what she was supposed to do, only to realise that the students around them passed by without even glancing at them, too busy hurrying to class.

Jin nodded at the auburn-haired teen and shot Karin a parting smile as he left, one hand raised, before he blended into the lingering crowd. Himeka turned away from a couple of classmates she had been conversing with, in time to talk to the brunette.

"I have to get to History now, so I'll see you later, Karin-chan. And don't forget that everyone's ready to help if you ever need to ask."

"Aa… yeah." She watched as her friend left with the other group, as Michiru clattered about with the abandoned trays. She tugged once more at her school skirt, as the silence settled in around them.

"Well, Hanazono-san," Karin turned at the only person she knew in the room at that very moment, "shall we get going?"

"Yeah, alright," she followed the taller teen as they left the cafeteria area, "Hey…"

"Hm?"

"Shouldn't there be attendance or something? Or do we just go to whatever classes we have?" The thought had just hit her, and boggled the mind.

Michiru pushed past a couple of male students (who glared at him briefly, before turning back to whatever conversation they were engaged in) and she struggled to keep up with him, "Yeah, we usually do, but there are exceptions. Mostly when the teachers are caught in meetings that run for too long. I don't know how it all works in the end, but since we're a boarding school and all, it's easy to weed out who's skipping, or sick, or actually attending class.

"We're known as the most prestigious and efficient school for a reason, of course."

Karin gripped nervously at the handle of her school bag, as she tried to laugh off the ever-growing fear that seemed to blossom from her chest. "Oh, yeah. I mean, the bad students who screw up all the time would _have_ to be sent back and, uh…"

As they reached a stairway that seemed relatively empty, Michiru stopped and turned back to face her, "It's always hard to start as the new person, especially when the year's already started," he began softly, "but don't let the expectations of others affect who you are and how you act."

"Nishikiori-kun…" Karin could only stare, as he smiled and held out a hand to her and continued.

"The lessons aren't really hard at all, once you get used to it. I'm just an average student myself, after all. And if you ever need help catching up, we're ready to lend a hand. So cheer up, Hanazono-san; being nervous and worried doesn't suit you at all."

As he finished his little speech, the brunette could only frown, "We just met, though."

"Well, I've been told I'm a good judge on people, and I like you, Hanazono-san."

The absolute bluntness of his statement made part of Karin squeal in overdrive, while the other burned in embarrassment. And he was _still_ offering her his hand, and she knew she couldn't refuse.

As soon as she took his hand (in the general gesture of acceptance), Karin gave a yelp of surprise as he pulled her into a run. "Wait, whaaa— Nishikiori-kun?!"

Michiru laughed, "We don't want to be late for class, after all, Hanazono-san!"

She was unable to reply, or tell him off for dragging her like this, as she attempted to keep herself from tripping: they fled down corridors and flights of stairs, to their first class.


End file.
